Door latch



Jan. 23, 1968 c. R. ADAM 1 3,354,706

DOOR LATCH Filed Sept. 21, 1965 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR mu 2. 4044/ ATTO R N EYS Jan. 23, 1968 c. R. ADAM 3,364,706

DOOR LATCH Filed Sept. 21, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR [1/44 [65 2. flmw BY W ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-5heet 3 INVENTOR C- R. ADAM DOOR LATCH Jan. 23, 1968 Filed Sept.

amim ATTORNEYS United States Patent 0 LAT-CH Charles R. Adana, Middietown, NJ assignor to Phoenix industries, lntn, Linden, NJ., a corporation of New .i'ersey Sept. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 488,350

9 Claims. (Cl. 7G159) ABSTRACT 6F A door latch for storm doors or the like of the type having a retractable latch bolt operable from one side of the door by a pivoted handle and from the other side of the door by a depressible operating button. The latch automatically goes from a locked to an unlocked condidition responsive to ones opening the door to exit the room. If the device should become accidentally locked with the door open, it unlocks automatically upon closing of the door. It is also manually lockable and unlockable from the inside and (if key-operated) from the outside, in normal fashion.

This invention relates generally to door latches, and more particularly to a door latch and lock mechanism of the swinging bolt type, designed to be used to particular advantage on metal storm or screen doors, although not necessarily restricted to this specific usage.

The main object or" the present invention is to provide a door latch mechanism that will have all the following characteristics:

First, a simplified construction having relatively few parts capable of assembly at comparatively low cost;

Second, a construction such as to facilitate mounting of the mechanism upon an otherwise conventional storm or screen door;

Third, a construction such that the outside lock mechanism will normally be of the ke -operated, cylinder type, but can be manufactured Without the feature of key operation so as to be incapable of being unlocked from the outside, with the latter type of construction being possible merely by substitution of a single combination part for two other parts normally embodied in the key-operated form of the invention;

Fourth, the adaptability of the device to be manually locked unlocked from the inside with the door closed;

Fifth, the adaptability of the device to be locked and unlocked from the outside by means of a key, in the keyoperated cylinder type of construction noted above;

Sixth, the feature of automatic operation of the device from. a locked to an unlocked condition, responsive merely to the normal operation of opening the door from the inside to leave the room or building, thus to preclude the possibility of ones accidentally locking himself out;

Seventh, in the event the door should be accidentally locked while open, the feature of automatic unlocking of the door responsive merely to its movement to a closed position, thus to provide added insurance against accidental lock-out;

Eighth, a compact construction that will have an attractive appearance;

Ninth, a construction that will permit the use of conventional lock cylinders; and

Tenth, a rugged, trouble-free design that will operate efficiently for a long period of time.

Summarized briefly, in the illustrated example of the invention there are provided, in addition to a strike bar of the rigid, unyielding type, latch-operating assemblies mounted upon the inside and the outside of the door. The inside assembly includes a pivoted handle swinging on a vertical axis, and adapted when depressed to move a cor- 3,364,786 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 respondingly pivoted latch bolt to a retracted position. The inside assembly incorporates a rotatable locking element manually shiftable between a normal unlocked position, and a locking position in which it locates a lug in the path of the bolt when the bolt is being retracted. Thus, the bolt is moved to its retracted position by the strike bar when the door closes, and this in turn causes the locking element to be automatically moved to its unlocked position by a cam action exerted by the bolt against the lug.

The outside assembly includes a depressible operating button, and a barrel that is shifted inwardly responsive to depression of said button. The barrel, in the keyoperated version of the construction, is rotatable within the depressible button between a first position in which it is capable of shifting a push bar inwardly, and a second position in which it is incapable of so shifting the push bar even though the push button be depressed in the normal manner.

In the key-operated form of the invention, the rotation of the barrel between its respective positions is controlled by insertion and turning of a key. In the unkeyed arrangement, the push button and the cylinder are integral or are otherwise held against relative rotation, so as to cause the cylinder or barrel to be maintained only in one position. The barrel or cylinder has shoulders which, in said one position of the barrel, will engage the push bar and thus move the push bar inwardly if the push button is depressed, provided, however, that the push bar is itself in one of two positions to which it can be turned. Rotation of the barrel by means of a key permits the push bar to be turned to a second position disengaging it from the shoulders of the barrel and hence locking the device from the outside. In turn, the above described rotation of the locking element also permits turning of the push bar to its respective positions.

The push bar, when in said one position thereof, is adapted to cam the inside handle to a position in which it will retract the bolt. Thus, the door can be opened from the outside when the device is unlocked. When rotated to its second or locked position, the push bar, as above noted, cannot be moved inwardly by depression of the push button on the outside of the door. However, with the push bar and locking element in their locking positions, unlocking results automatically responsive to opening the door from the inside, because the inside handle retracts the bolt, which in turn cams the locking element to an unlocked position, said locking element in these circumstances turning the push bar to its unlocked position.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a door latch according to the present invention, an associated door and door jamb being illustrated fragmentarily in horizontal section, the bolt being in latched position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 in which the inside handle is partially broken away, the latch bolt and inside handle being shown in unlatching position;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the inside latch assembly, taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view substantially on line 44 of FIG. 1, showing the locking element in its unlocked position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the locking element in its locked position;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view substantially on line 66 of FIG. 1, showing the retaining spring for the locking element;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view transversely through a.) the latch, taken substantial-1y on line 77 of FIG. 3, a key being shown in dotted lines, portions of the door and outside handle being broken away;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view substantially on line 88 of FIG. 7, showing the outside latch assembly, a portion of the outside handle being broken away;

FIGS. 9, l0, and ll are enlarged sectional views taken on line 99 of FIG. 7, showing the barrel and push bar in different positions to which they are relatively turnable in use of the mechanism;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view substantially on line 1212 of FIG. 9, taken longitudinally through the barrel, portions being broken away; and

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 12, showing a modifled construction in which there is no lock cylinder and associated key.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a conventional door is movable to a closed position against a conventional jamb 22, and has outer and inner sides 24, 26. The door latch constituting the present invention has been generally designated 28, and can appropriately be considered as incorporating an inside assembly generally designated 3'9, and an outside assembly generally designated 32.

Considering first the construction of the inside latching assembly, this includes a casing 34.

Casing 34 includes a frame 36 projecting outwardly from the inner side 26 of the door. Frame 3-5 is substantially frusto-pyramidal in shape, with open boltand handle-receiving sides 33, 4d respectively.

At its base, a frame 36 is integral with a vertically elongated, rectangular escutcheon plate 42, formed integrally with a peripheral flange 44 facing toward and engaging the inner side as of the door, so as to define a shallow cavity 45 (FIG. 1) between frame 36 and the inner side 26 of the door.

Referring to FIG. 6, extending across the cavity .5 are opposite but identical arcuate ribs 4-6 defining therebetween a part-circular bearing recess 48.

The inside latching assembly 39 also includes an inside handle 56, having an elongated, horizontally extending, operating arm 51 integral with a body portion 52. The body portion 52 extends into the open side 40 of frame 36, with arm 51 being disposed wholly exteriorly of the frame. Body portion 52 swings on a vertical axis, about a pivot pin 54 extending through an Opening formed in the body portion adjacent escutcheon plate 42.

Body portion 52, as seen from FIG. 1, is formed with a guide finger 56, disposed adjacent the proximal end of arm 51, said guide finger being disposed in juxtaposition to the outer end of the frame, so as to aid in guiding the handle during the movement thereof between its normal, FIG. 1 position and its unlatching or depressed position shown in FIG. 2.

In confronting relation to the guide finger as is a cam finger 58 integrally formed upon the handle body 52, and extending in slidable contacting relationship to the inner surface of a cam arm 60 integrally formed upon a swin ing latch bolt 62. Latch bolt 62 has a main or body portion 53 which is adapted to extend out of the open side 38 of the frame as shown in PEG. 1, in the latched posi tion of the part. Body portion 63 is of frusto-pyramidal shape, in general, and at its smaller end has an opening receiving a pivot pin 64 carried by the frame 36, whereby the bolt is mounted to swing on an axis parallel to that of the handle 54).

Cam arm 6% of the latch bolt, as shown in FIG. 1, is engaged by the distal end of cam finger 58, at a location between the pivot axes of the handle and bolt, in an arrangement such that on swinging of the handle to its depressed, FIG. 2 position, the latch bolt will be cammed inwardly from its FIG. 1 to its FIG. 2, unlatched position.

The inner surface of the body portion 63 of the latch bolt is deeply recessed as shown at 66, and in the bottom of the recess, there is provided an annulus constituting a seat for a compression, coil spring 68 projecting out of the recess 65 to receive a spring-retaining lug formed upon the adjacent, confronting surface of the body 52 of the handle. The handle and bolt s2 together constitute an inner latching mechanism 69.

Thus, spring 63, tending to expand, biases bolt 62 outwardly under normal conditions, to its FIG. 1 position, with the cam finger and arm 58, 69 respectively in contact as shown in FIG. 1 and with the handle in its normal FIG. 1 position. When, however, the handle is depressed to its FIG. 2 position, the bolt will be carnrned inwardly against the force of the spring 68, to a position clear of a striker plate 79 having an outwardly projecting lip 2 in back of which the latch bolt is engaged with the parts are in their latching position shown in FIG. 1. The striker plate is secured to the door jamb in confronting relation to the latch bolt, and would be formed with a pair of mounting slots 73 of such a length, and extended in such a direction, as to permit adjustable positioning of the striker plate, either in an up-and-down direction, or in a selected, spaced relationship in respect to the door stop 75 or" the jamb.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, I provide a lock plate or element 74, including a part-circular body part 77 which bears rotatably in the bearing recess 48 hereinbefore described, within the shallow cavity 45 of the escutcheon plate 42. Body part 77 is integral with a locking handle 76 constituting part of the lock plate 74 and projecting downwardly through a slot 78 formed in the bottom part of frame 36 at the base of the frame. The locking handle 76 is movable between its unlocked FIG. 4 and its locked, FIG. 5 position.

On the surface of lock plate 74 that faces toward the door 2 9, there is formed a circular boss 86 (FIG. 6). This bears in an opening 82 of a flat retaining spring 84 overlying ribs 4-6 within cavity 45 and formed with divergent wings having openings in which are engaged lugs 86 integrally formed upon the escutcheon plate to hold the spring in place. The spring, about its opening 82, is tensioned to bear against the lock plate 7d, so as to engage the plate frictionally against the escutcheon plate, adjacent the base portion of frame 36.

Formed in the spring, adjacent opening 82, is a detent groove 38 extending radially from the opening 82. Lock plate 74 is formed with angularly spaced, radial detent lugs 9% either of which is releasably engageable in detent groove 85.

Viewing the lugs 90 as in FIG. 4, the lower of said lugs engages in groove 33 in the vertical, unlocked position of the lock plate handle 76. In the locking position of handle 76, the upper lug 93 moves into registration with the groove 88 to engage therein, as will be apparent from FIG. 5. The engagement of the logs in the groove, in the respective positions of the lock plate, is sufficiently light to still permit the lock plate to be moved between its opposite ext eme positions with relative ease. At the same time, however, there is enough of an inter-engagement between the detent lugs and groove to retain the lock plate in either of its positions without danger of its accidental rotation from the selected position to which it has been turned.

Referring now to FlG. the distal end of the latch bolt, at the corner thereof adjacent the body 52, there is formed a cam projection in extending outwardly from the body portion 63, and projecting forwardly from said body portion, in the sense of the direction of the bolt when it swings to its retracted position. Projection 95 is adapted to cammingly engage a cam lug 94 integrally formed upon the lock plate in spaced relation to the axis of rotation of said plate. Cam lug 94 is so disposed as to be out of the path of movement of the cam projection of the latch bolt, when the latch bolt is swinging to its retracted position and the lock plate 74 is in its uniocl ng position shown in FIG. 4. In these circumstances, the cam projection 96 moves in a horizontal path above this is shown to particular advantage in FIG.

7, wherein the lock plate 74 is disposed in its unlocking position shown also in FIG. 4.

If, however, the lock plate is in its FIG. 5 position, the lug 94 will have been moved upwardly about the axis of rotation of the lock plate, to its FIG. 5 position. In these circumstances, the lug 94 has a cam surface 95 disposed directly in the path of movement of the projection 96, when the latch bolt is swung from its FIG. 1 to its FIG. 2 position.

The projection 96, under these circumstances, will cammingly bear against the surface 95, which is in an inclined position in respect to the path of movement of projection 96. The result is that the inward swinging movement of bolt 62 to its retracted position is effective to cam lock plate 74 from its FIG. 5, locked position to its unlocked, FIG. 4 position.

It will thus be seen that assuming that the door is open and is accidentally locked while in open position, the swinging of the door to a closed position will automatically move the locking plate to an unlocked position, by reason of the fact that said movement of the door to a closed position causes the bolt to engage the striker, and be cammed inwardly thereby toward a retracted position, to an extent sufficient to cause projection 96 to exert the above mentioned cam action against lug 94 and hence move lock plate 74 to its unlocked, FIG. 4 position.

Referring now to the outside assembly 32 of the door latch, this includes a hollow casing 98, which is formed open at the side thereof facing the outer side 24 of the door. Casing 98 is formed (see FIG. 7), adjacent its respective ends, with horizontally, inwardly extending mounting bosses 100, 102, having axial, threaded recesses opening toward inside assembly 30, to receive mounting screws 104 extending through countersunk, smoothwallerl openings formed in the end portions of the escutcheon plate 42. In this way, the inner and outer assemblies are secured together, in engagement with the opposite faces of the door.

At the lower end of the housing 98, there is formed a downwardly opening bottom recess 106, receiving the upper end of a handle bar 108, extending downwardly in spaced relation to the surface of the door and engaged at its lower end in an upwardly opening recess formed in a bottom bracket 112. Bracket 112 is formed with a downwardly opening slot 114 (see FIG. 8) adapted to receive a sheet metal screw 116 or the like, which engages threadedly in an opening of the outer side 24 of the door.

Intermediate the mounting bosses, housing 98 is formed with a generally rectangular opening 118, in which is slidably mounted a correspondingly shaped push button 120, the outer end of which is closed and projects rearwardly from the housing or casing 98 as shown in FIG. 7, in the normal position of the push button. Push button 120 is held in position within the opening 118, that is, in closely spaced relation to the several edges of the opening 118, by means of guide lug 122 formed on the top surface of the push button in slidable engagement with a downwardly opening guide groove formed in a combined strengthening and guide rib 124 of the casing. A lower combined strengthening and guide rib 126 engages in a downwardly opening guide groove of a lug 128 formed upon the bottom portion of the push button. It will thus be seen that the push button is not only centered in opening 118, but also, is mounted upon the housing for slidable movement inwardly and outwardly of the housing, and is held against rotatable movement when so moved.

The push button has limited slidable movement in the above described direction, being disposed as in FIG. 1 when in its normal, outer position, and as in FIG. 2 when in its depressed operating position.

Formed in the inner end of push button 120 is a bore 129, extending fully through the push button. A barrel of cylinder 130 is rotatably mounted in said bore, and

projects forwardly from the push button, in the direction of the adjacent door surface. In communication with bore 129 are diametrically opposed tumbler grooves 134, 136 formed in the wall of the bore 129. These are adapted to receive the tumbles 138 of a conventional key-operated lock of the cylinder type. The construction of such a lock, of course, is conventional per se and is so well known in the art as not to require special illustration herein. It is sufiicient to note that the lock is of the type such that on insertion of a key K (FIG. 7) the tumbles 138 will be drawn radially inwardly from their normal, locking position shown in FIG. 9, in which position they are engaged in the recesses 134 and hence will prevent rotation of the barrel. On being retracted radially inwardly, the tumbles will clear the recesses, so that turning movement of the key will be effective to rotate the barrel.

Referring to FIG. 12, in communication with bore 129 is a relatively shallow end recess 140 of the bottom 120 (see also FIG. 8).

To hold the barrel against axial displacement in respect to the push button, a retaining spring 144 of the leaf type is provided upon the barrel, and extends radially outwardly therefrom to bear against shoulder 145 defined at the bottom of the recess 140.

At the opposite or outer end of the bore 129, there is provided a counterbore 142, defining a shoulder 143 against which bears a circumferential flange 146 formed upon the outer end of the barrel 139. The flange 146 and the spring 144, thus, cooperate to hold the barrel against axial displacement in either direction in respect to the push button 120.

Rotational movement of the barrel is limited to angular travel of approximately 60, through the provision of an arcuate groove 148 (see FIGS. 9-12), communicating with the counterbore 142 and diametrically disposed in respect to the tumbler groove 134.

Extending into the groove 148 is a stop lug 1513 projecting radially from the barrel 130. The groove 148 is so proportioned as to length as to limit the rotation of the barrel to approximately 60, between a normal position as shown in FIG. 9, and an opposite extreme position as shown in FIG. 10. As will be noted from FIG. 9, in the normal position of the barrel the lug 150 is disposed at one end of the groove 148. When the barrel is turned from this position in a clockwise direction (viewing the same as in FIGS. 9 and 10) by means of the key K, the lug 150 moves to the opposite end of the groove 148.

In the normal, FIG. 9 position of the barrel, the key would be vertically disposed, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, and would be turned to an inclined position 60, more or less, from the vertical when the barrel is rotated to its FIG. 10 position.

Formed in the barrel, at the end thereof adjacent door 20, is an axial recess 152. On the wall of recess 152 there are formed diametrically opposed shoulders 156, said shoulders being formed as integral projections on the wall of the axial recess 152, which projections extend from the bottom of the recess to a location approximately midway between the ends of the recess as shown in FIG. 12.

The barrel 130 is also formed, within the recess 152, with longitudinal, diametrically opposed ribs 154. These extend the full length of the recess, in contiguous relation to the respective shoulders 156 (see FIG. 9).

The provision of the shoulders 156 and the ribs 154 defines, within the recess 152, diametrically opposed clearance areas 157 within the recess, extending without obstruction fully from the outer to the inner end of the recess.

A plunger or push 'bar 158 seats in the recess and has (FIG. 12) a circular base 160 on which are integrally formed diametrically opposed, arcuate wings 162 (FIGS. 9-ll). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a generally conical reinforcement 164 is provided on the push bar, to strengthen the connection between base 160 and an elongated bar element 165 of rectangular or other non-circular cross section. Bar element 165 extends through an opening formed in the outer side 24 of the door, and projects through an opening formed in the inner side 26 of the door. Bar element 158 extends through a slot-like aperture formed in the boss of the lock plate 74, said aperture being of a shape mating with the cross-sectional configuration of the bar element, so as to cause the bar element and lock plate to be engaged for conjoint rotatable movement. The bar element is, however, axially slidable within the aperture provided in the lock plate.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, integrally formed upon the body 52 of the handle 50 is an elongated nose portion 166. The push bar 158 extends into engagement with the nOse 166, when the handle is in its normal, FIG. 1 position. Accordingly, movement of the push bar 158 away from the outer assembly is effective to cause the push bar to exert a cam action against the nose 166, thus swinging the handle 50 from its FIG. 1 to its FIG. 2 position, to retract the bolt 62.

Referring to FIGS. 9-11, the push bar 158 can be urged inwardly, to swing the handle 50, only if the wings 162 are in registration with and bear against the shoulders 156. In these circumstances, depression of the push button from its FIG. 1 to its FIG. 2 position will be effective to correspondingly move the push bar, since the wings 162 will be in engagement with the shoulders 156, hence causing the depression of the push button to be effective to impart the handle-swinging movement to the push bar Assuming, however, that the push bar is in its FIG. 11 position, the wings 162 will now be disposed in the clearance spaces 157, and it will thus be seen that in these circumstances, depression of the push button will have no effect in moving the push bar 158 inwardly from its normal position shown in FIG. 1. It is to be noted, in this regard, that inward movement of the push button, when the wings 162 are in the clearance spaces, is limited by the barrel bottoming on the surface of the door.

To normally urge the push button and the push bar to their FIG. 1 positions, I provide a relatively light, compression spring 168 interposed between the base of the push bar, and the bottom of the axial recess, in the barrel. While this spring is of a strength sufficient to return the push button 120 to its FIG. 1 position after each depression thereof, and to urge the push bar into contact with the nose 166, the force of the spring is nevertheless not suflicient to cause depression of the push button to axially shift the push bar to a handle-swinging, FIG. 2 position of the push bar it the wings 162 of the push bar are in the clearance spaces 157.

In use, and assuming that the parts are in their normal, door-latching position shown in FIG. 1, with the door latch unlocked so as to permit the door to be opened either from the inside or outside, lock plate 74 will be as in FIG. 4, with push bar 158 located as in FIG. 9 and wings 162 in registration with and seated upon shoulders 156. Under these circumstances, the device is unlocked. If one desires to leave the room or building, he depresses handle 56, to the FIG. 2 position thereof. By cam action of finger 53 against arm 60 of latch bolt 62, the latch bolt is retracted to its FIG. 2 position, out of engagement with the striker. The door can thus be opened.

Similarly, the door can be opened from the outside, by depression of push button 126 to its FIG. 2 position. In these circumstances, as above noted the push bar 153 will be moved inwardly, due to the engagement of the wings 162 against shoulders 156. This exerts a cam action against nose 166, swinging the handle to its FIG. 2 position and hence causing retraction of bolt 62.

If one desires to lock the door from the inside, he swings the lock handle 76 from its FIG. 4 to its FIG. 5 position. The result is that the push bar 158 will be turned, due to the mating relationship of the bar element 165 and the slot receiving the same in lock plate 74, from the FIG.

9 to the FIG. 11 position. The wings will now be disposed in the clearance spaces. Therefore, the door has been locked from the inside, and depression of the push button 120 will have no effect in unlatching the mechanism. Rather, the push button will simply move inwardly, without imparting any motion to the push bar, which remains in its FIG. 1 position.

If, however, one desires to leave the room with the device locked as noted immediately above, once again he does so responsive merely to depression of the handle 50, which will not only unlock the latch mechanism, but will also impart the outward swinging movement to the door by reason of the pressure exerted by the user against the handle. Under these circumstances, as the latch bolt 62 swings inwardly responsive to depression of the handle, it exerts a cam action against the lug 94, returning the lock plate 74 to its FIG. 4 position, from its locked, FIG. 5 position.

Thus, if one leaves the room he will not accidentally lock himself out, and it is not essential that he take steps to positively unlock the door by moving the handle 76 from the FIG. 5 to the FIG. 4 position, before depressing the inside handle for the purpose of leaving the room or building. Instead, the unlocking is automatic responsive merely to the normal activity of opening the door from the inside.

Should the locking handle 76 be acidentally struck while the door is in open position, and swung to its locking position shown in FIG. 5, it is not possible to accidentally lock oneself out. Instead, the swinging of the door to a closed position causes the bolt 62 to be cammed inwardly by the striker plate 72 just as the door reaches closed position, and this again causes the plate 74 to be swung to its FIG. 4 position, by carnming engagement of the projection 96 with lug 94.

If one desires to lock the door from the outside, the key is inserted, and is used to rotate the barrel 130 from its FIG. 9 to its FIG. 10 position. By reason of this rotational movement, the ribs 154 bear against the wings 162, at one side of the wings, so as to turn the push bar to its FIG. 10 position. Then, in order to withdraw the key, it must be turned back to its vertical position. The result is that the barrel is turned in a reverse direction, moving from its FIG. 10 to its FIG. 11 position. The FIG. 11 position is, of course, the same as the normal, FIG. 9 position of the barrel. The push bar 158, however, will remain in the position to which it was shifted by the ribs 154, and hence will now be located with its wings 162 in the clearance spaces 157. Under these circumstances, depression of the push button will have no effect in unlocking the door.

If one desires to unlock the door from the outside, the tey is inserted, and is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, viewing the parts as in FIGS. 9ll. This turns the barrel from the FIG. 11 position, in a counter-clockwise direction, through approximately 60". Now, the wings 162 will be engaged by ribs 154 at the opposite sides of the wings, so as to turn the push bar 158 back from its FIG. 11 to its FIG. 9 position. Once again, the key is turned (this time in a clockwise direction) back to its vertical position,-to permit removal of the key and to cause the barrel to be disposed in its FIG. 9 position with the push bar also being disposed, at this time, in the FIG. 9 position thereof. Depression of the push button under these circumstances will unlock the door from the outside.

In FIG. 13, I have shown a modification which is identical in every respect to the key-operated version shown in FIGS. 1-12. The only diflerence in this form of the invention resides in the absence of a lock cylinder and the corresponding adaptability of the device to be locked and unlocked from the outside by means of a key K. Instead, the device utilizes a combination push button and barrel generally designated 170, which is substituted for the barrel and push button 120. All other parts of the device are unchanged. The combination push button and barrel includes a barrel 130a, having axial recess 152a, in

9 which push bar 158 seats. Shoulders 156a and ribs 154a are provided, in exactly the same arrangement as is true of the first form of the invention. Integral or otherwise made rigid with the barrel is a push button 120a, which in respect to its outer shape, and its slidable mounting in the casing 98, is similar to the push button 120.

In this form of the invention, the device can be locked or unlocked from the inside only. Depression of the push button 120a will unlatch the mechanism only if the push bar is in its FIG. 9 position. It will be understood, of course, that in this form of the invention the shoulders 156a and the ribs 154a will be disposed in the same location as the shoulders 156 and ribs 154 are disposed in FIG. 9.

In a commercial embodiment of the invention, it is possible that certain variations in the construction of the invention might occur, without departure from the spirit of said invention. For example, I may utilize an arrangement wherein the locking plate 74, when rotated from its FIG. to its FIG. 4 position responsive to the normal operation of opening the door from the inside, would be so rotated by the handle 50 rather than by the bolt 62. In other words, instead of a cam action being exerted against lug 94 by projection 96 of the bolt, I may locate cooperating cam surfaces on the locking plate 74 and on the body portion 52 of the handle, which cam surfaces would be arranged to interen age and rotate lock plate 74 from its FIG. 5 to its FIG. 4 position, in response to movement of handle 50 from its FIG. 1 to its FIG. 2 position. This might be done by locating a cam lug such as the lug 94 below the axis of rotation of the lock plate 74, in position to be engaged by a cam projection on body portion 52 when said body portion 52 moves from its FIG. 1 to its FIG. 2 position.

It is also possible, in a commercial embodiment, that push bar or plunger 158 may act upon the bolt 62, rather than on the handle 50, when moved to its FIG. 2 position for the purpose of retracting bolt 62. In such an instance, a cam finger may be provided upon the bolt 62, eliminating the need for the nose portion 166 of the handle 59.

I believe it is important, also, to note that the relative form, arrangement, and cooperative action of the lock plate 74, push bar 153, and the outside push button and barrel assembly (whether formed as in FIGS. 1-11 or as in FIG. 12) might be incorporated in a door latch construction in which, for example, the construction of the inside latch assembly ditfers from that illustrated and described herein. For example, the inside latch assembly might possibly utilize a striker of the resilient rather than of the rigid type shown, a latch hook fixed to the door in position to engage said resilient striker, and an inside handle adapted to bias the striker out of engagement with the latch hook.

It is important to note, in this regard, that regardless of the particular form of the invention, I provide in every instance a locking action wherein no blockage of movement of the inside handle and/or the bolt occurs. This is distinguished from conventional door latches, in which the typical arrangement is to move a locking element into the direct path in which the inside handle and/ or the bolt would move during the normal operation of opening the door from the inside, with the extension of said element into this path being effective to block such movement.

In my invention, wherein such blockage does not occur under any circumstances, I am able to achieve a locking action which is effective for its intended purposes, but which at the same time has the additional advantages of automatic operation of the device from a locked to an unlocked condition responsive merely to normal activity of opening the door from the inside, automatic unlocking of the door responsive merely to its movement to a closed position to prevent accidental lock-out, manual locking and unlocking of the door from the inside, and locking and unlocking from the outside in key-operated versions of the construction.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any changes in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A latch and lock for mounting on a door in association with a striker mounted on an adjacent jamb, Comprising:

(a) an inside assembly including (1) frame means attachable to one side of a door,

(2) a bolt thereon operable between a latching position in engagement with a striker and an unlatching position clear of the striker,

(3) a handle movable on the frame means between a normal rest position and an unlatching position in which the handle moves the bolt clear of the striker, and

(4) a locking plate mounted on the frame means for movement by a user between locking and unlocking positions; and

(b) an outside assembly including (1) a support attachable to the other side of the door, and

(2) means on said support actuable by the user to shift the handle to its unlatching position, said locking plate engaging the last-named means to deactivate the same in the locking position of the plate, said handle and bolt being pivoted on the frame means to swing about generally vertical axes, the handle including a cam surface engageable with the bolt to effect the movement of the bolt clear of the striker responsive to said straight-line movement of the handle-shifting means toward the handle, the means for shifting the handle including a push bar slidably mounted in the locking plate and cammingly engaging the handle when slidably moved in one direction to provide said motion-translating engagement with the handle swinging the same to its unlatching position, said means for shifting the handle further including a push button mounted on said support for depression by a user, and a barrel in which the push bar is seated, said barrel and push button being conjointly movable towards the handle to shift the push bar in said one direction, the push bar and locking plate being interengaged for joint rotatable movement between said locking and unlocking positions of the locking plate, said push bar being disposed out of the path of movement of the barrel toward the handle in the locking position of said plate to effect said deactivation of the handle-shifting means by the locking plate.

2. A latch as in claim 1 wherein the barrel includes shoulder means engaged with the push bar in the unlocking position of said plate to effect the movement of the push bar in said one direction thereof, said shoulder means being disengaged from the push bar in the lock ng position of the plate to deactivate the handle-shifting means.

3. A latch as in claim 2, further including means on the locking plate engageable by the bolt to rotate the plate to its unlocking position, responsive to movement of the bolt toward its unlatching position when the locking plate is in its locking position.

4. A latch as in claim 3 wherein said bolt-engageable means on the plate is a lug disposed for cam engagement by the bolt in the locking position of the locking plate.

5, A latch as in claim 4 wherein said lug is out of the path of the bolt in the unlocking position of said plate.

6. A latch as in claim 5 wherein the bolt includes a cam projection constituting the lug-engaging portion of the bolt.

7. A latch as in claim 2 wherein the barrel includes rib means adjacent said shoulder means thereof, said barrel being mounted for rotation by a user between opposite extreme positions, and rib means engaging the push bar for rotation with the barrel on rotatable movement or" the barrel to its respective extreme positions, thus to rotate the locking plate to its locking and unlocking positions respectively.

8. A latch as in claim 7 further including a key-operated lockset engaged with and controlling said rotation of the barrel.

9. A latch as in claim 2 wherein the barrel and push button are rigidly joined and are slidably, non-rotatably mounted in said support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,773,376 12/1956 Wartian 70-150 2,824,441 2/1958 Wartian 70150 3,100,388 8/1963 Wartian 70-450 3,147,608 9/1964 Turner 70--146 3,138,840 6/1965 VVartian 292-166 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

E. I. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

